Boxoffice-December.17.1955

Gil
Brandon Elected
By Memphis Variety
MEMPHIS—A chip off the old block. Gilbert
Brandon, general manager of Film
Transit. Inc.. has been named chief barlcer
of the Variety Club. His father. H. H. Brandon,
once held tiie same post.
Brandon succeeds M. A. Lightman jr. a.s
chief barker. Others elected: Alton Sims,
Rowley United Theatres, first assistant;
FV)rdyce Kaiser, Allied Artists, second assistant:
Howard Nicholson. Paramount, property
master: Nate Reiss. Reiss Enterprises,
dough guy, and as canvasmen: George Simpson.
Film Transit: Conrad Bach, National
Theatre Supply: Tony Tedesco. United
Artists: Ed Doherty. Exhibitors Service and
Tom Kirk. Ham-Kirk.
Maurice Greenberg Plans
Big Industrial Park
HARTFORD—Maurice Greenberg. owner of
the Parsons Theatre here, has disclosed plans
for a $25,000,000 industrial park, the largest
multiunit development of its kind in Connecticut,
to be constructed on a 100-acre tract
of land in suburban South Windsor.
Leonard E. Greenberg, Maurice's son and
general manager of the M. G. Realty Corp..
said it is proposed to construct modern onestory
light manufacturing and warehousing
units, all buildings to be designed and built
for tenants. The entire layout will be known
as the Nutmeg Industrial Park.
The Parsons is currently under lease to
Bercal, Inc., of Hartford.
Maude Leonard Operates Theatre
Which She Helped Open in 1907
CEDAR VALE, KAS.—Mrs. T. Maude
Leonard, who operates the Leonard Theatre,
has been in theatre business in Cedar
Vale since 1907. In those 38 years, Mrs.
Leonard has never watched a picture
through all at one time because she always
was too busy with details that have required
her attention. Her husband, W. W.
Leonard, who was "Bill" even to his
younger patrons, died Nov. 28, 1952. While
he ran the theatre, .she helped, but for
31 years also operated a drug store.
The Leonards came here from Lebanon
in 1907 about tw'o years after their marriage,
and operated the old Opera Hou.se
which then was .showing legitimate shows.
When the stage shows declined, the Leonards
closed the Opera House and began
.showing motion pictures in their Mystic
Theatre, which is now a cafe. They bought
the Leonard Theatre buUding in 1932 and
ran their first "talkie" there.
"We packed the house because people
just couldn't believe that sound pictures
were po.ssible." Mrs. Leonard recalls. "But
the biggest crowd we ever had was in the
middle 1930s. We were showing a Will
Rogers film and sold tickets to 550."
Leonard himself built the inside of their
present theatre, and together he and Mrs.
Leonard decorated it. She believes the
theatre is the only business founded in
Cedar Vale in 1907 that is still being operated
by one of the original founders. It
was her decision that Leonard's funeral
services be held in the theatre to which he
had been devoted and had given so much
of him,self.
The picture shows Mrs. Leonard watching
Kenneth Pack, one of her projectionists.
Pack has worked at the theatre since
he was eight years old but has a daytime
job with the city water department.
NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS
SEASON'S GREETINGS
fiiiisti>2s^^(isei9JeiusXus^^
JOEL BLUESTONE
I
n
I
FROM ALL AT
MASTERPIECE PICTURES, INC.
MILTON DUREAU
I 221 S. Liberty St, New Orleans, La.
Wishes you a Merry Christmas
and a Prosperous New Year
532 International Trade Mart Bldg.
New Orleans, La.
Booking and Buying
MA. 1364 MA. 1364
Season's Greetings %
from
SOUTHERN THEATRE SERVICE
Buying and Booking
I
Season's Greetings
from
DIXIE FILMS. INC.
&
S. W. WRIGHT
219 S Liberty St. TU. 5118
FRANK LAIS
218 So. Liberty St.
S. W. WRIGHT
New Orleans, La.
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